Public Schools Spend Less Money on Every Black Student in America

America’s educational system continues to be plagued by racism. Nearly six decades after Brown v. Board of Education made it illegal to deny equal educational opportunities, schools across America remain racially segregated. It’s also evident that many predominant minority schools lack the resources that are available at schools with majority white students. There is now data to back up that claim.

According to a report called ‘Unequal Education’ by the Center for American Progress, schools that have 90 percent or more minority students spend $733 less per student than schools with 90 percent white students enrolled.

The financial disparity stems from a loophole in the federal policy Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The act was created to give more funding for schools in poverty-stricken areas, but the law doesn’t take teacher salaries into account.

Teachers who work in low-income communities tend to make less than teachers who work in majority white schooled districts. As a result, funding at minority schools are drastically less than funding given to majority white schools.

A.R. Shaw is an author and journalist who documents culture, politics, and entertainment. He has covered The Obama White House, the summer Olympics in London, and currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for Rolling Out magazine. Follow his journey on Twitter @arshaw and Instagram @arshaw23.